by Dianne Weyna

Having a lot of time on my hands, I've decided to change part of my front yard to a native garden.  I want to use less water, encourage pollinators and attract and feed more birds.  I began by clearing the center of my garden by taking out a lilac bush and a large rose bush. This left plants at both ends of my garden and around the edges, many of which are existing native plants.

I visited the Martha Walker Native Habitat Garden in Skyline park and while it is winter and most plants were not in all their glory, I was able to see plant markers to make a list of plants that interested me.  If they are growing there, I am hoping they will grow in my yard.

I made a grid of my garden area after watching an excellent video from the Master Gardeners on planning a pollinator garden.  I calculated the square footage I have for new plants, identified almost all the plants I have and decided which ones I will move or remove.   

 My garden is west facing, receiving mid-day sun with shade in the morning and late afternoon with plantable space of 134 square feet.  Knowing pollinators like groups of plants, my design will be to add to the natives I already have. Yarrow, dudleya and California fuchsia (Epilobium canum) will be the major groupings. Pollinators need a variety of plants, but I am unable to add too many more different species.  My street space has a well-established eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis), which attracts bees in the spring with many pink flowers along the stems, and a Washington hawthorn (Crataegus phaenopyrum), which attracts bees in the spring with its white smelly flowers and birds in the fall with red berries.  

To prepare the new garden area I've placed cardboard on the ground and added soil on top. Happily, the rain is finally here that are soaking the soil and cardboard.  This will help ready the area for planting by May, in time for spring and the California Native Plant Society plant sale. 

A manzanita shrub has already been transplanted from another area where it wasn't doing too well and placed in my new garden where it will get more sun. Santa Barbara daisies(UC Davis All-star plant) are in a lot of areas, very easy to grow and help to shade early plantings.  I'll select plants that are drought tolerant, like full sun to partial shade and will not grow too large. 

The plants I am considering are:

Western columbine (Aquilegia formosa), a perennial, small and mounding, needs sun to part sun and some water and/ or 

Serpentine columbine (A. eximia) another possible choice and another UC Davis all-star.   

Western dog violet (Viola adunca), attracts silver spot butterfly and can be full sun to partial shade and partially dry.  

Yellow eyed grass, (Sisyrinchium californicum) full to part sun and moderate water.  

Douglas Iris (Iris douglasiana) a purple iris that grows short and self-spreads. 

Penstemon Margarita BOP (Penstemon heterophyllus), another UC Davis all-star grows 1-3 feet tall, likes clay soil, is perennial and likes sun.  

Golden yarrow (Eriophyllum confertiflorum) to add to my other yarrows.  

I may also grow buckwheat (Eriogoinum fasciculatam), California rose (Rosa californica) and milkweed (Asclepias california or A. tuberosa). Tropical milkweed should NOT be grown (A. curassavica), which is dangerous for the Monarch butterfly.  I would also like a bush lupine (Lupinus albifrons). 

Here is more information I garnered from various websites:  Gardening with native plants, US forest service, fs.fed.us.  Why native plants matter, Audubon.org has a “find your bird friendly plant” guide that you can put in your zip code and get a list of plants that attract birds.  Calscape, California native plant gardening guide. 

Master Gardeners are following recommended social distancing guidelines that keep everyone safe, Napa Master Gardeners are available to answer garden questions by email: mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org. or phone at 707-253-4143.  Volunteers will get back to you after they research answers to your questions.

Visit our website: napamg.ucanr.edu to find answers to all of your horticultural questions.

Photo credits: Creative Commons 2.0; Jane Callier, Silver Bush Lupine

Information links:

California Native Plant Society  https://www.cnps.org/gardening

Audubon Society-Native plant database  https://www.audubon.org/native-plants

US Forest Service-Native Plants https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/Native_Plant_Materials/Native_Gardening/index.shtml

Calscape-Garden planner  https://gardenplanner.calscape.org/

UC Davis Arboretum https://arboretum.ucdavis.edu/blog/creating-diy-pollinator-garden

https://arboretum.ucdavis.edu/plant-database

Martha Walker Gardens Skyline Park Napa  https://skylinepark.org/park-info/martha-walker-gardens/

Lasagna or layer composting https://afghanag.ucdavis.edu/irrigation-natural-resource/files/soil-lasagna-composting.pdf

UCMG Napa County-Step by Step Garden Design  http://napamg.ucanr.edu/GardenDesign/